The Penance for Curiosity
by Kittyliu
Summary: No one truly knows about the events that occurred at Bell Tower, do they? The events that led to the Burned Tower and the reincarnation of Suicune, Raikou, and Entei. Well, this is my take on the curious Johto legend, in which three friends pay the ultimate price. -"Your sentence to repay the ancient world begins now."


**The Penance for Curiosity**

_Written by Kittyliu_

_I do not own Pokémon. This is a purely fan made story with no profit involved._

* * *

_Ever since I can remember, I loved the rain and the misty winds it always brought along with it._

My parents would always tell me that from the first moment I touched the water I was a natural swimmer. That the first time I slipped into the cool embrace of the liquid I immediately became one with its mysterious dancing movements.

And as such, I love being in the water. Even in the cool winter months I try to swim as much as possible, which often resulted in a cold unlike any others. But I never could help it, there was just something about how refreshingly cool the silky waves feel against my skin and the way it wraps around you like a slender blanket.

Sometimes, after a nice long swim, I would have dreams about the water and its waves. The most common dream I had was that I found myself in the place after death, and it contained enough water for me to swim for all eternity.

* * *

_For as long as I can remember, I've had an affinity for fire and its luxurious heat._

When I was young, me and my family lived in the countryside as farmers. Often enough in the cold winter, we had to rely on the heat from the fire to warm ourselves as our house was not made by the best hands. I would stay awake for the longest time simply watching the flames jump and dance in intricate movements, almost like it was telling a story that I couldn't even grasp the concept of.

Of course, this often resulted in other children my age referring to me as a pyromaniac. It got me in more trouble than anyone could believe. Some of the children would set fires just to get me in trouble with the elders. In some ways, though, they were right. I loved setting things on fire. Nothing big like a house or cruel like a living creature. Just simple, innocent things like dead wood and dried grass.

Time and time again my parents tried to get me help for my obsession with fire, but it never worked. I loved watching the yellows and oranges and reds twirl together and dance. No two dances were alike, just like fingerprints and snowflakes. Just watching their intricate dances would distract me, at least for a little while, from the war looming on the horizon.

But the true thing about fire is its unpredictability. You never know what will happen when it comes to fire and it's somewhat lethal dance. Looking back, I guess that beautiful trait is what became my downfall.

* * *

_As for me, I preferred the fascinating new discovery called 'electricity'._

Growing up, I only had the children in the local village to play with and the great outdoors to entertain us. But then, it all changed suddenly when some strange men came. They installed these things called 'Utility Poles' before leaving to set more up. Often the village children would have climbing races on the large wooden poles, but that too changed when the men came back, this time with long wires that they referred to as 'Electric Lines'.

A week after the electric lines were installed, my parents went to the nearby city, Olivine, and came back with a 'Television'. Quickly, all the village children would crowd around the strange machine, entranced with the way the images danced across the screen. I was more entranced at the energy behind the seemingly magical machine.

Over the next few years I continually tampered with the town's electricity supply to try my own electricity-powered inventions. I figured out several odd yet amazing things about the element, and it fed my curiosity to the point of overflowing. That's when a man who was also deeply invested in the properties of electricity stopped by our village. He'd apparently heard about me from someone, and with my parents' blessing he took me in as his apprentice.

At the time, no one could've been more enthusiastic about the arrangement than me. But you know how the old saying goes, 'Curiosity killed the cat'.

* * *

_The darkening leaves of the trees trembled in the fall wind. _During this point in time any other year it would be quiet and peaceful. However, this year the faint gunshots and cannon fire of war shattered the usual silence. The front-line of the war was still very far away at this point, but it didn't help stop the uneasiness which was spreading rapidly.

To get away from the looming warfare, one citizen of the local city was currently basking in the quickly cooling glow of the sun. He was sunning himself along the shoreline of a local lake hidden from most people's view by a dense forest that surrounded it. A wild Vaporeon, an inhabitant of the lake, had the same idea and was curled beside the teenage human.

Kai Mizu was the youngest of five brothers, which meant there was plenty of commotion at him. Sometimes it could be extremely irritating, but at other times it allowed Kai to slip away unnoticed and find his way to the lake's side. Even though it was fall, the teen instinctively sought out the closest source of water. In fact, he came to the lake so often that he'd managed to befriend most of the wild lake-dwelling Pokémon.

Unlike any other day, however, Kai wasn't the only human who sought refuge at the water's edge. Another teen was watching from the shadows of the surrounding forest, careful to not make any noise whatsoever. The unknown boy watched Kai as the teen pulled his shirt over his head and dived into the cool, welcoming waves.

Only when Kai had disappeared underneath the surface of the water did the other boy dare to step away from the protection of the forest. At his heels followed a lone Flareon that seemed to have connected to the boy. The boy watched carefully as Kai reappeared towards the center of the lake. His auburn colored hair stuck to his forehead, making his face seem more rounded than normal.

After shaking some of the water from his face, Kai slid his eyes open. Immediately they widened into surprised orbs of sharp aquamarine as they registered the presence of another human. A few moments later and Kai was at the bank of the lake, looking up at the unfamiliar boy curiously. He hadn't moved, though it seemed like he was preparing to flee the area at any moment.

"Uh, hi there! I'm Kai, who're you? I've never seen you around before." Kai asked him while taking in his appearance. He had straight black hair that barely brushed his ears, though his bangs were long and messy, with dazzling red eyes that reminded Kai of brilliant rubies.

"Aedus. I'm Aedus O'Sullivan." The other teen answered softly after a few silence heavy moments. "I, uh, just move here… y'know, to get away from the war zone." Kai's eyes widened in shock and he quickly climbed out of the water. He stooped and picked up the towel he'd brought along with him, wrapping the soft material around his shivering form. "I, uh… I could make you a fire, i-if you'd like." The ravenette offered shyly, which earned him a smile from Kai.

"Sure, that'd be really nice!"

* * *

_From there, the two young men became even closer friends. _But as their bond grew closer, so did the war front. The cannon fire in the distance got subtly louder each week, putting everyone at even more unease. Kai and Aedus, however, tried their best to ignore it and spent almost all of their time together at the lake. The lake and the clearing that held it had become a sort of safe place for them. A place free from the grasp of the oncoming war and the unease of the city.

Today was just like any other day. Kai drew in a breath, reveling in the fresh scent that the pine trees towering overhead gave off and sighed contentedly. He carefully tiptoed over yet another fallen branch and found himself in the clearing that held the lake. Aedus was already there with several large logs sitting around a nice little fire. The ravenette even had a little case full of various items of snacking food.

Wordlessly, Kai joined his friend and sat on the log across from him next to the fire. The two of them ate their food in a comfortable silence. Kai's Vaporeon friend curled itself into a comfy ball at Kai's feet while the Flareon forced its way onto Aedus' lap. Aedus giggled softly and stopped eating to stroke the fire-type's soft red fur. He went back to his food, and soon he and the auburnette had finished.

Before they could start cleaning up, though, a large flash of yellow barreled over the fire. The two boys fell backwards over the logs they were sitting on, startling the Vaporeon and Flareon. Both of whom started growling when they caught sight of the culprit. A dashing little Jolteon danced on its paws a few feet away from the fire, yipping softly. The yipping reminded Kai of laughter, and he shot a glare at it. He glanced at Aedus, but noticed the ravenette hadn't even glanced at the merry Jolteon.

"Is the Jolteon yours?" The ruby-eyed teen asked timidly, looking at a shadowy shape standing in the cover of the forest. Kai watched as the form moved into the light where he could actually get a decent look at him. The form appeared to be a teenage male, like them if not a bit older, who was pretty tall. He was at least a foot taller than Kai and probably several inches taller than Aedus. His bleach blond hair was cut short in the back, but he'd allowed a few long, wavy bangs to drift into his face. But Kai felt drawn most of all to his eyes, which were a deep shade of darkish lavender.

"He's not really mine, he belongs to my master." The other teen said after a moment in a deep, manly sort of voice. Then he looked over at the fire burning between the two boys. "You do know that lighting fires in the middle of the forest is illegal, right?"

"S-so what, you gonna turn us in for it?" Aedus snapped weakly, becoming increasingly annoyed at the blond's presence. The other teen simply chuckled, earning a growl from the ravenette.

"No, I'm just follow my boss's Jolteon. Apparent it can show me the way to where the twin towers are." He replied. Kai gasped softly and glared at the blond.

"What do you want with the sacred twin towers?" He questioned coldly. The teen chuckled at how defensive Kai turned in a matter of seconds. "What's so funny, huh? Are you s-some kind of poacher or something after Lady Soul and Sir Heart?"

"Ehm, please allow me to explain. My name is Thorin Rask, from the rural village of Arborville towards the city of Olivine. I've come to Ecruteak with my master to learn more about the fundamentals of electricity while under his apprenticeship," The teen began, "The only reason I wish to find the twin towers is because I believe that they're the only points high enough, yet safe enough, to try out my master's newest lightning rod design. If it works, then it'll be a much more cleaner, efficient, and humane way of harnessing energy."

"Ah, well, Thorin, I'm Kai Mizu. A native from Ecruteak. The twin towers are a sacred place for all of us, plus they're guarded by only the best Elites, some of which are even members of the ancient Dragon Clan! There's simply no way you would be able to get close enough to see inside, let alone get to the top!" The auburnette argued, but one look at Thorin's face revealed that he was most definitely not going to follow the teen's advice.

"Electricity helps make fire, right?" Aedus asked suddenly, his voice carrying an unmistakable edge of curiosity. Kai shot him a horrified look while Thorin smirked widely and nodded. "T-then, uh, would it be alright if I t-tag along? It does sound kind of interesting."

"The more the merrier!" Thorin announced, flinging an arm dramatically around Aedus' shoulders. Kai sagged his shoulders in defeat and sighed.

Only a few moments later the three of them were off in the direction of the twin towers.

* * *

_Over the course of another few weeks, the three boys eventually became closer and closer friends. _They made frequent trips to both the twin towers and the nearby lake. When it came to the towers, they were most often forced to watch from afar as the Elites kept a close guard on them. Most of the time they just came to study the sheer beauty of the towers while just simply sitting beside one another. It's in this way that their Eeveelution partners also became close friends.

However, one night a rather large thunderstorm began brewing overhead. The Elites were distracted with making preparations to protect the towers from the fast approaching war front, believing that on one would be foolish enough to try to enter the towers during a storm. They had little idea that this was just the moment that the three friends had been waiting for.

The three teens made their way quietly into the entrance of Bell Tower, which happened to be a few feet taller than its sibling tower. The creaking and groaning of the floorboards gave away the tower's old age, so that the teens had to place their steps carefully. Kai, however, was enchanted by the dazzling pictures adorning the walls.

Elegant pictures were drawn in lovely shades of blues, yellows, and reds. There was several depictions of large, strange-looking birds, each drawn in a different color. A larger drawing of an even stranger, bird-like creature sat in the center of the wall. Aedus had to give him a rather rough shove to rip his attention away from the wall.

At long last they reached the top of the tower. The rain was already falling down, so Thorin hurried to set up his lightning rod. Following at his feet was a very uneasy looking Jolteon. The other two Eeveelutions also looked extremely put off. The Flareon was pacing the length of the roof and the Vaporeon was snarling viciously at the sky.

Kai curled himself close to Aedus, the taller of the two whom was also holding his thick jacket above their heads to try and shield them from the pouring rain. "A-are you sure this i-is a good idea?" Kai managed to ask softly. Aedus' arm wrapped around the auburnette's shoulders and gave them a reassuring squeeze, but Thorin just grunted back. "Thorin!"

"Yeah everything's gonna be fine-!" The blond was cut off abruptly by a bright flash of light in the sky and a ground shaking rumble. "Dear Arceus I gotta hurry! Stop distracting me!" He snapped irritated. Kai clamped his lips together and pressed closer to Aedus' warmth. Usually he loved being out in the invigorated rain, but something about this storm made him very uneasy.

"There!" Thorin announced gleefully. He'd finally managed to piece together his lightning rod. The blond stood up and walked a few steps backward so he could admire his handiwork. The metal rod had a little machine attached to it that Thorin had explained would hold the harvested energy. Another bright flash temporarily blinded Kai's vision for a moment, and then suddenly he felt a blast of heat.

"SHIT!"

Kai's eyes shot open as he registered Thorin's panicked voice and saw that the lightning rod had turned a burned black color, plus the machine attached to it had burst into flames. Flames that were quickly spreading, as they were already only a few feet away from where the brunette and ravenette were sitting. Within seconds, Aedus pulled Kai to his feet and the two began walking as quickly as possible towards the entrance to go back inside.

Another flash of blinding white light blinded Kai yet again, but then he suddenly lurched forward and slammed hard against the wooden floor of the tower's roof as the building lurched dangerously. "Aedus!" Kai blinked, willing the lights obscuring his vision to go away. He registered Thorin leaning over the side of the tower but with no Aedus in sight.

Within only a few seconds, Kai was at Thorin's side and desperately grabbing at one of Aedus' arms. With a joint effort, the pair managed to pull their friend back over the side of the building. Kai turned around to see that the fire had become even worse. There was now a fiery wall between them and the entrance back into the building.

"We gotta try to run through it!" Aedus told them firmly. Kai gripped the older teen's arm nervously, but nodded. He knew it was the only thing they could do. They couldn't jump over the side because the fall would most likely kill them. The auburnette started slightly as he felt someone gently grab his elbow, but relaxed when he realized it was only Thorin. A moment later, the trio darted into the viciously burning flames.

Pain seared through Kai's entire being, making the auburnette gasp. He could only draw in puffs of foul-tasting smoke, however, which immediately made him feel light-headed and dizzy. Then, his foot met a slippery step and he fell forward onto the stairs. The blood roared in his ears as he rolled down a long, agony filled flight of stairs.

For a few moments he just laid there, numb and not daring to move. "Vapor, eon! Vaporeon!" A timid voice called and a wet nose pressed against Kai's charred cheek. He hesitantly opened his blues eyes to look at the friendly water-type. He managed to smile weakly at it, making it yip happily.

"A-aedus?! Thorin?!" Kai called out weakly while realizing that every breath burned his throat and lungs. His body was wracked with a few painful coughs until he finally managed to get a mouthful of air.

"We're h-here." The voice made the auburnette jump, an action that sent acute pain throughout his damaged body. A whine broke free of his lips and his eyes screwed up tight against the flash of utter agony. Gentle arms wrapped around him and helped him to his feet. "C'mon, K-kai… We gotta… Gotta get out of h-here-!"

Another rumble of thunder split the air in a deafening boom and the building gave a sharp crack. Yet another flash of heat washed over the teen and he opened his eyes carefully. A hole had opened up in the roof just a few feet in front of them and it caused several pieces of burning wood to fall into their path. The stairs in front of them quickly burned away and Kai could feel himself sway as the steps just below them start to crack and creak underneath their combined weight.

A moment later and the auburnette felt himself falling away from those gentle arms, away from the floor, and away from the heat. He embraced the few moments where a cool wind caressed his burned and broken body before hitting something hard. Immediately afterward everything simply went blank.

* * *

"_Little one, are you awake yet?"_

Kai slid his eyes open and lifted his head to look around. He found himself laying in burned rubble with the sharp scent of fire and smoke laying heavy in the air around him. Little droplets of rain hit his face every so often, making him tilt his head back to see a large hole in the roof above him. Directly above the hole the auburnette could see the sky above gradually getting lighter and lighter.

He managed to pull himself to his feet, but Kai immediately felt that something about him was different. "Wh…where am…am I?" He asked carefully. Another form suddenly slipped into view and Kai was surprised to see a man, probably in his early thirties, with long, red-orange hair pulled back into a high ponytail. The man's odd, multi-colored eyes fell onto Kai, but they were unreadable. The man wore an odd, orange Japanese-style kimono with rainbow and flame designs adorning it. Something about him seemed very familiar as well.

"You are at the ruins of Bell Tower." The man answered simply. Kai's heart lurched as he finally remembered what had happened. He felt hot tears pool in his aquamarine eyes as he realized that he'd taken part in destroying Lady Soul's sacred tower.

"Oh dear Arceus, please forgive me!" He moaned, his heart in utter agony at what he'd done. Then, however, another thought struck him. "T-thorin and Aedus! S-sir, do you know w-what happened to them?!" Kai asked, his voice rising as his panic level rose dramatically. The man gave him a reassuring smile.

"They woke up just a little while ago, little one. Come, shall we go greet them?" He asked, motioning for Kai to follow him. The auburnette jumped to his feet and rushed to the man's side. The orange-haired man led him into another room where two other people were sitting on some fallen columns. Kai immediately recognized them even though it was obvious that their appearance had changed.

Aedus' ebony hair had lightened into a dark shade of chocolate-brown and there was red markings underneath his eyes. Thorin was still blonde, but it was a darker shade of gold with random streaks of black that reminded Kai of lighting strikes. There was a pair of marks under his eyes as well, but his were blue.

"K-kai?" Aedus gasped out suddenly as his still-ruby-colored eyes fell upon his friend. Thorin's head immediately shot up to look at the auburnette and the two lurched to their feet at the same time. Within a few moments they were both at Kai's side, pulling him into a three-way hug. Kai's knees felt weak he was so relieved that the pair was still alive. Somehow they'd all survived! But still, something major felt off.

"So he did it to you, too, huh?" Thorin murmured softly against Kai's hair. The auburnette pulled back slightly to give him a questioning look. Aedus broke free of the hug and pulled Kai towards a shard of glass that had fallen onto the floor. He picked it up and presented it to the auburnette.

Kai couldn't contain the gasp of shook that broke free as he took in the face that stared back at him. His auburn hair had turned a shade of lavender just a bit lighter than Thorin's eyes, and there was diamond-shaped white markers underneath his own eyes. "W…what happened to me!?" He yelped, taken aback at how differently he now looked.

"I brought you back to life."

Kai whirled around to look at the orangette in shock. The man smiled apologetically at him.

"Who in the name of Arceus are you, anyway?!" Kai snapped, shaking slightly. Aedus wrapped an arm around his quaking shoulders and Thorin protectively stepped forward so that he stood between Kai and the man. "I've never seen you around Ecruteak, and I know everyone there!"

"That's because I am the entity that you Ecruteakians refer to as Sir Heart," Kai felt a gasp rip from his throat, and he began shaking even harder. "and you three perished in the fire that burned down Bell Tower. The same fire that you three caused. As penance, I've recalled you back into the realm of the living where you shall be my servants until your debt to the ancient world is repaid."

"We're d-dead?" Kai yelped softly, feeling overwhelmed with all the information he was taking in. He felt Aedus' arms tighten around him a bit more.

"Yes, you were dead. But as I said, I brought you back to life, which the only damage being a bit of a change your appearance. Which was caused by the fact that the three Eeveelutions you'd brought along also perished in the same fire as they attempted to save your lives." Sir Heart explained. Kai immediately thought of the sweet-natured Vaporeon and he merely managed to muffle a sob. Aedus' arm tightened even more around him and he saw Thorin's lavender orbs flash back to look at him before going back to the man who'd begun speaking again.

"As such, you three yourselves have become a new breed of Pokémon entirely, but with the same typing of the three Pokémon who died alongside you. In a way, you have been fused together into one entity, but since your human minds were much more powerful than theirs, their minds and memories were lost in the process." Kai shivered, it was so much to take in at once. "Kai of the water, Aedus of the flame, and Thorin of the spark, each of you represent an element that took place in the destruction of Bell Tower, an ancient relic and the resting place of Lady Soul. Your sentence to repay the ancient world begins now."

* * *

_A cool autumn breeze ruffled the leaves of the old sakura trees lining the main street of Ecruteak City. _A few leaves broke free and fluttered to the ground, joining others that had already fallen. Standing beneath the large, majestic trees was a strange man wearing a slightly torn and worn blue cloak. The hood of said cloak had been pulled up so that his face was hidden from view.

The place where the man was standing had a perfect view of the infamous 'Burned Tower', said to have been destroyed over 150 years ago during the Great War. In fact, the sakura trees themselves were planted in honor of the disaster. The man sighed in content, but the peace was quickly shattered as two loud voices came into earshot.

"C'mon, we all know the legend about the tower! Plus, we both want to look for the legendary judge of hearts, so why won't you let me help you?" A young man with carefully combed back brown hair (but a stubborn strand denied to be put into place and drifted between his eyes instead) with crystal blue eyes demanded from his partner, a larger blond male with dark purple eyes. The strange man couldn't help but smirk at the uninterested look on the blond's face, it was as if the two had the conversation more than a few times.

"You always ask me that at least once a day, Eusine, you should know the answer by heart now." The blond told him simply. His brunette friend, Eusine, growled in frustration.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I have to give up hope that you'll change your mind one of these days, Morty!" He snapped back. "And y'know, I'm not a helpless little kid who you have to protect anymore! I'm an adult who even has his own trainer's license for Arceus' sake! I'm not helpless any-!" Eusine was abruptly cut off as the blond pulled him into a tight hug.

"I know all that, Eusine, but it's all so dangerous," Morty began calmly, "and you're my closest friend. It'd kill me if something happened to you that I could've prevented if I'd only been there. So please, can't you at least wait until the next off-season to go off looking for them? That way I'd be able to go along and make sure you're safe."

"G-gah, fine! But j-just because you finally gave me a real answer!" Eusine replied crossly, though the strange man could tell, even at a distance, he had a playful edge to his voice. The two broke away and waved goodbye to the other. Morty turned away from the Burned Tower and quickly took off towards a rather large, important looking building. Eusine stayed behind and simply stood, looking at the rubble of the tower and the sakura trees surrounding it.

"Oh guardian of golden hearts, why can't you be easier to find? I'd even be humbled by just gazing at your beauty." The brunette murmured with a sigh. "Besides, you are my only chance to finally lay my eyes upon the legendary beast of purity." The strange man's head cocked curiously at those words and he began walking carefully over towards Eusine.

When he was only a few feet away, the blue-eyed brunette finally noticed him. He turned and opened his mouth to say something, but the man immediately lowered the hood of his cloak. This effectively silenced the brunette for the moment. "Curiosity is a dangerous thing, little one." The strange man murmured in an oddly young voice. "And sometimes it's best put aside to make sure that those whom you love don't get hurt alongside you."

The man stepped even closer to Eusine, and the brunette could his strangely refreshing breath against his cheek. The man raised a hand and gentle ran a silver, claw-like nail down the other man's cheek. "So many years ago, I made the wrong choice. Me and those I loved dear suffered the consequences of it. Even to this day, we suffer. But now, in this moment, you have the chance to make the right one. Don't rush into it if you aren't ready. Take your time and you'll find the answers you seek. Think about what you truly want.

A moment later and the man in the tattered cloak had disappeared, leaving behind a shocked Eusine. The brunette knew that he would never be able to forget that short moment, nor could he forget the man's long, lavender hair and startling aquamarine eyes. He'd never be able to forget the sadness, wisdom, and bittersweet happiness swimming in those orbs of light blue.

And in a way, he knew. In his heart, he knew for a fact that the man was not in fact a man. Not any more at least. He knew with his entire soul, that the man was the dream he'd been chasing ever since he'd been a boy hearing about the legend of the ancient Bell Tower and the three creatures who rose from the flames.

"_Suicune._"

* * *

**Author's Note:**

_So this is the final version of the story! It's over 1,000 words longer than the first with some things edited and changed~ But mostly it staid the same, I believe._

_As for the inspiration for the story, I've always loved Johto and it's many myths and legends. Especially the one about the beast trio. I remember reading somewhere that Suicune, Entei, and Raikou were human brothers who perished in the fire, while on bulbapedia I read that they were actually three unknown pokemon. So I brought both of those basic ideas into this story._

_And the three young men's names have similar meaning to the element that they're supposed to represent. Kai Mizu is Japanese and water related, Aedus O'Sullivan is Irish and fire related, and Thorin Rask is Scandinavian and thunder related. Kai becomes Suicine, Aedus becomes Entei, and Thorin becomes Raikou._

_Plus, all of the mentions about war is my own personal headcannon that many years ago Kanto and Johto were at war with each other. In the end, however, Kanto won which is why many elements are so similar, like the shared Pokemon League and open boarders. In my headcannon, Lance is kind of like a peacemaker between the two countries because he's Johto's Champion but one of Kanto's Elite Four. And several times over the years there's been several Johto-based uprisings which lead to referring to the war that Lt Surge was in. :3_

_And I guess I touched a bit on why Eusine wants to find Suicune so bad during the Gold/Silver/Crystal/HGold/SSilver arc x'3_

_But, yeah, thanks for reading my long story and pretty long author's note xD I hope you enjoyed!_

_~Kittyliu _


End file.
